


Tending

by ABrighterDarkness



Series: Kisses Bingo [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Feels, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26325541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/pseuds/ABrighterDarkness
Summary: Part of him wanted to urge Sam to leave the bandages for a time when they really needed them.  Steve always felt a little guilty using up supplies that were essentially wasted on him.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Series: Kisses Bingo [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885117
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20
Collections: Kisses Bingo





	Tending

**Author's Note:**

> Kisses Bingo Square B3 - neck kisses | **patching up a wound**

“You didn’t go see Medical again, I’m taking it?” Sam asked from behind him.

Steve grimaced guiltily even as he tossed his ruined tshirt into the trashcan next to the sink. He met Sam’s eyes in the bathroom mirror and shrugged. “There’s no point in having them waste their resources on me.”

“Except that you’re miserable until your body catches up,” Sam pointed out, pushing off of the door frame and into the bathroom. He gently nudged Steve to the side and opened the cabinet, crouching to pull out the sizable first aid kit.

“I’ve had worse,” Steve said with another shrug, refusing to wince when the movement pulled painfully at the deep bruising over the majority of his torso. He couldn’t say that it didn’t hurt, and yes, it would be miserable for the next day or so until the broken ribs underneath the surface damage managed to knit back together. But he counted himself fairly lucky considering the average healing time for those types of injuries. 

“I know it,” Sam said pointedly as he set the kit onto the countertop and flipped open the lid. “I was sitting by your hospital bed for three days when you had worse. Doesn’t mean this isn’t bad.”

Steve didn’t protest when Sam guided him to lean back against the counter with firm but gentle hands on his hips. Sam grabbed a clean washcloth and reached around him to wet it in the sink after letting the water run long enough to warm. When he straightened up again, Sam caught Steve’s chin in his free hand and carefully cleaned the small cuts and bruises that were scattered across his face. Steve let his eyes fall closed and leaned automatically into Sam’s careful touch. 

“Anyone else in this rough of shape?” Sam asked curiously

“No,” Steve responded quietly. “No, mostly just bruises, thankfully.”

“You took the worst of it, didn’t you?” Sam shook his head with a sigh when Steve didn’t answer, knowing that he really didn’t need to. “Who’d you take the hit for this time?”

“No one,” Steve denied, opening his eyes lazily to meet Sam’s. “Just kept the attention on me while the rest of the team took him down.”

“Uh huh,” Sam said, eyeing Steve disbelievingly.

Steve couldn’t help but grin at the expression. “Honest, you can even ask Nat when you’re done.”

“Why do I feel like she’s going to have a whole other tale to tell?” Sam said sarcastically. 

Steve felt his smile widen, even though maybe it shouldn’t have. He had been a little stupid. Too determined to keep the thing’s focus squarely on him, let it get way too close and engaged it more than entirely necessary. And now bore the evidence of the beast’s ire. But in his defense, keeping it’s attention on him meant that he hadn’t _had_ to jump in to cover anyone else. 

Stupid move or not, Steve wasn’t really concerned. Aside from his ribs, everything else was fairly superficial. He could already feel the itchiness of his body attempting to heal most of the scrapes and gouges. He sighed in relief when Sam’s cloth covered hand gently worked over the worst--and therefore the itchiest--soothing the lingering sting. 

He could have done this himself, he knew. He had every intention of jumping into the shower as soon as he had gotten home. By the time he had gotten out, the open wounds would have been clotted well enough that he could have thrown a shirt on and went about his day without worrying about ruining more clothes. 

But there was no way that he was going to turn down any opportunity to have Sam’s careful touch. It wasn’t everytime that Sam seemed to feel the need to patch him up. Actually, his current injuries were relatively tame, they looked far worse than they actually were. But he wasn’t going to argue or complain.

Steve had come to understand without it needing to be said that it was, perhaps, Sam’s own brand of a bad day, and somehow patching Steve up even when he didn’t necessarily need it, helped.

Sam dropped the cloth into the sink and shifted his weight to the side to dig through the first aid kit. Steve took a moment to look down over himself. Now that the residual blood, dirt and grime from the battle was gone, he was satisfied that the serum was doing its job. The wounds were already well-clotted, like he had expected, and by the next evening it was unlikely that there would be scabs remaining. 

Part of him wanted to urge Sam to leave the bandages for a time when they really needed them. Steve always felt a little guilty using up supplies that were essentially wasted on him. He pushed it aside for the moment, staying still and quiet while Sam used careful and efficient movements to apply the sterile bandages to the already healing wounds. 

When urged, Steve obediently lifted his arms out of the way when Sam grabbed a wide ace wrap for his ribs. He responded to the exasperated half-glare with a cheeky smirk when he opted to rest his arms on Sam’s shoulders instead of out to the side. As soon as the wrap was secured, Steve used the placement of his arms to gently pull Sam into a hug, shifting enough against the counter until he could widen his stance to bring them flush together. He couldn’t help but sigh contentedly despite his injuries, when Sam’s arms immediately coiled around his waist.

It always amazed Steve just how grounding a hug could be, that such a simple gesture was so capable of settling all the chaos that liked to cling to the edges of his mind. How it could feel utterly essential to just hold Sam against him and have it returned. Sam’s arms tightened fractionally, his face tucking into the curve of Steve’s neck and he sighed, sinking more heavily into Steve’s chest.


End file.
